Coronary artery disease, also referred to as coronary heart disease or heart disease, is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Coronary artery disease afflicts more than fourteen million people in the United States. Many people are afflicted with the disease without suffering symptoms or undergoing treatment.
Coronary artery disease involves the coronary arteries becoming partially clogged, leading to a narrowing known as stenosis. This blockage limits the flow of blood from the coronary arteries, which are the major arteries supplying oxygen to the heart. If coronary arteries are clogged and unable to expand, the heart is deprived of oxygen, a condition known as myocardial ischemia. With a coronary arterial stenosis, chest pain or pressure, called angina, may occur. When the blockage is sufficient to prevent the flow of blood to the heart, the result is heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction or heart muscle death.
Over one hundred billion dollars are spent annually on coronary artery disease. Much of this cost is related to medication, hospitalization, caregiving, such as nursing home care and in-home day care. Accordingly, to the extent that coronary artery disease could be affirmatively diagnosed during an individual's lifetime, medical treatment might be provided that might provide benefits by slowing or reversing the progression of the disease, reducing morbidity and mortality rates and improving, and improving quality of life.
Thus, there remains a need for diagnostic methods for coronary artery disease. In particular, reliable and cost-effective methods and compositions are needed to allow for diagnosis of coronary artery disease.